Research – Syria: Civilians in al-Baydah and Banias exposed to summary executions

Mass killings took place in al-Baydah on 2 May and Banias on 3 May. Research carried out by Amnesty International into the incidents found that pro-government forces were behind the deaths of at least 130 individuals in al-Baydah and 138 killed in Banias.

Amnesty International believes that civilians may have been targeted as a deliberate tactic to punish them for their perceived support or sympathies with the opposition fighters and forcibly displace as many civilians as possible in order to leave opposition fighters more exposed and without a local support base.